Foodservice Opinions

Opinion pieces on the foodservice equipment and supplies industry from leaders and laymen from all aspects of the business, including dealers, distributors, design consultants and multi-unit operators.

U.S. retail sales turned positive in March and restaurant sales did fairly well. For the first time, restaurant sales exceeded those of supermarkets. McDonald’s franchisees are not in a positive frame of mind. Burger King’s founder thinks $15 an hour minimum wage will kill the dollar menu. These stories and a whole lot more in This Week in Foodservice.

Sales among casual restaurant chains slowed in March according to Knapp-Track. Job openings hit a 14-year high in February. Some states go on record opposing the Sysco/US Foods merger. An Oakland, Calif. minimum wage increase leaves some businesses unhappy. These stories and more in This Week in Foodservice.

The National Restaurant Association says that despite slower sales for the month, foodservice operators continued to spend in February. The jobs picture and other government reports suddenly cloud the economic outlook. Labor action planned for next week. These stories and a whole lot more in This Week In Foodservice.

Wow. I’m pretty new to the industry. Four years ago, if you had asked me if I knew a good New York rep group, I would have said Run-DMC. But now I know that’s hip-hop, not tabletop. I got kitchen-cred. Or as one foodservice equipment manufacturer would say: I’m “fluent in foodservice.”

The Promontory is the latest addition to chef and entrepreneur Jared Wentworth’s growing empire that also includes the wildly successful Longman & Eagle and Dusek’s, a modern brewpub in Chicago. A graduate of Kendall College, Wentworth has spent time in the kitchens of David Burke, John Hogan and the late Keith Korn. The recipient of a Michelin star for the past five years, Chef Wentworth strives to run sustainable kitchens with a devotion to local foods and seasonal fare.

The 2015 NAFEM Show was a stellar success. Once again it was easy to see just why this has become the most highly anticipated show in the segment, even though it takes place only every other year. From the smallest booths of energetic participants eagerly showing off their wares to an appreciative audience to the largest booths representing hundreds of hours of work to set up and tear down, this year’s NAFEM Show was a dazzling display of stainless steel and showmanship. It occupies a place that is truly at the epicenter of the foodservice equipment and supplies world.

Nothing brings out the best in the foodservice equipment and supplies industry quite like The NAFEM Show. For three days it seems everyone is in the best possible mood while hobnobbing beneath NAFEM’s biennial big top. The burdens of business challenges seem to fade to the background as various new applications of stainless steel, melamine and even china have everyone forgetting the past, even for a moment — because, to paraphrase one-hit wonder Timbuk3: their future’s so bright they’ve gotta wear shades.

There’s a new #2 in restaurant sales. A New York City startup company wants to streamline foodservice delivery by running their own central kitchen. See why Starbucks' plan to reduce energy use didn’t work. These stories and a whole lot more in This Week In Foodservice.

Casual-chain restaurant sales limped along in February. A new report shows overall restaurant comparable store sales were driven up in February by higher check averages. Patent trolls are targeting restaurants. Restaurants on or near highways are getting a boost as more road trips are taken. Starbucks tests delivery. These stories and a whole lot more in This Week In Foodservice.

Restaurant sales slid in February, perhaps due to weather. Foodservice employee turnover continued to rise in 2014. Sysco notified the SEC that they are postponing the closing of the US Foods acquisition for 60 days.